1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation device.
2. Description of Related Art
A density correction is performed in an image processing by an image formation device so as to reduce an influence of device characteristics of the image formation device and realize color image printing on a paper which are true to an input image. Such a density correction includes a printer gamma correction, for example. The “printer gamma correction” is an adjustment of relative relations between values (input values) of density, luminance and the like of an input image input to an image formation device and density (output values) of an image printed on a paper based on the input image.
Patent Document 1 (JP2011-103535A), for example, discloses a technique to perform a printer gamma correction to an input image data by comparing detected color values of a gamma correction chart printed on a paper obtained by a color sensor, which is provided downstream of a fixer of an image formation device, and original density values of the gamma correction chart. The system using the color sensor can correct characteristics of a paper and process conditions from a transferring process to a fixing process.
In general, gamma correction data is stored to perform a printer gamma correction in an image formation device using a color sensor as disclosed in Patent document 1. The gamma correction data is stored in a form of a density conversion table/function to convert voltage values of the color sensor into density values or density values obtained by reading a gamma correction chart by a color sensor and converting the voltage values into density values using the density conversion table or function. The printer gamma correction is performed using the stored gamma correction data.
Patent Document 2 (JP2006-250969A) discloses a technique to optimize an output image of an image formation device using a process cartridge in which toners, photosensitive material and the like for an image formation process are integrated. In the technique, management information such as property information, of the process cartridge is stored in the process cartridge and the image formation process is controlled based on the management information of the attached process cartridge to use the process cartridge under favorite conditions for the process cartridge.
A type of image formation device is known for which multiple types of fixers (fusers) that are detachably structured can be applied. The gamma correction data used for the printer gamma correction for the color sensor type device above explained includes fixation characteristics. Therefore, in a case where the printer gamma correction is performed in the image formation device of a color sensor type for which multiple types of fixers are detachably structured to optimize output images, the stored gamma correction data has to be totally deleted and new gamma correction data has to be generated every time the fixer is replaced. The replacement causes troublesome work and requires much time.
The problem is not dissolved even when property information and the like of each fixer is stored in the fixer as disclosed in Patent Document 2.